


Big Time

by SaraJaye



Category: Pocket Monsters: Diamond & Pearl & Platinum | Pokemon Diamond Pearl Platinum Versions
Genre: Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Banter, Friendship, Garage Band, Multi, Pizza, Ship Tease
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-31
Updated: 2013-10-31
Packaged: 2017-12-31 00:45:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1025342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaraJaye/pseuds/SaraJaye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>No one had expected the little garage band who played cheesy bubblegum pop and rock covers to make it, but here they were.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Big Time

No one had expected the little garage band who played cheesy bubblegum pop and rock covers to make it, but here they were. Only two weeks after their album sold its fiftieth copy, they were on the road to Unova's exciting Nimbasa City to play a week of sold-out shows. They packed the van, stocked up on snacks and hit the road.

And that's where the madness began.

-x-

Dawn and Barry had known each other since before they learned to walk, and the duo became a trio when they met Lucas at age seven. Everyone else they'd met at school or other places, and soon the eight of them had formed their own little crew. Even Mira, a few years younger than the rest, was right at home among them.

So of course the next natural course of action was to start a rock band. Barry had a drum set and his mother was all too happy to move it out to Lucas's garage, and Buck's brother had been happy to give him his old saxophone after _his_ band split up. Dawn and Riley had varying guitar skills. Cheryl was an expert piano player who occasionally dabbled in electronic keyboards. Lucas could play a mean trombone. Mira, of course, was happy to chime in on a tambourine and Marley surprised them all by joining in the fun on her mandolin.

They just did it for fun at first, playing along to whatever songs were playing on the radio. When Dawn realized they had a pretty good sound, they actually started to put more effort into their playing. But it was a long time before they started actually trying to write their own songs, and after several failed attempts they decided being a cover band wasn't such a bad thing. It wasn't like they were doing this for the fame and fortune, anyway. They hadn't even expected to sell an album, let alone get a gig this exciting.

Dawn smiled as she gazed out the window at the passing scenery. A little cover band playing the big city! The biggest city she'd ever seen in her lifetime was Veilstone, and according to her dad's letters Nimbasa was at least ten times as exciting. Stadiums, courts, concert halls, an amusement park-even a musical theater where Pokemon danced on stage with the actors! Their manager Cynthia had been there many times as well, and she'd been so excited for another chance to visit.

"I wish the van ride didn't have to be so long," she sighed as she put her father's letter away once again. She'd read it a million times since they'd gotten the invitation from the stage's owner, and every time she longed more and more for the bright lights of the big city.

"I wish we could've just flown our Pokemon there!" Barry said as he snuck one last peek over her shoulder at the letter. "It's not _that_ far between Sinnoh and Unova, is it?"

"Actually, it's approximately five-thousand, two-hundred seventy miles," Lucas said. "We'd knock the poor creatures dead from exhaustion if we flew all that way!" Mira sighed dreamily as she looked at him.

"You're so smart, Lucas."

"Er...thanks." Lucas blushed, and everyone tried to hide their snickers. While Mira wasn't shy about showing her feelings for Lucas, Lucas tended to be a bit of a dork about girls. Especially ones he was starting to like back even if he tried not to let it show.

"Luke, my boy, don't even try it. She's a kid, dude, you're lookin' at a few years in juvie if you hit that," Buck said.

"Buck!" Cheryl admonished him. "Lucas isn't trying to _hit that_ , he's still a kid too."

"Yeah, for now. But when she's fifteen he'll be eighteen," Buck snorted.

"I'm pretty sure it's only illegal if they have sex," Riley pointed out. Lucas coughed nervously, while Mira turned bright red. "Ahaha, oops."

"Can we talk about something else, please?" Lucas asked, his voice tight. "We should discuss the songs we're going to perform at the shows."

" _So Far, So Bad._ If we don't do that one we might as well not play at all," Barry insisted. "And _Joy To The World._ "

"We always play those," Mira complained. "Can't we do some Archies covers? They're so groovy!"

"Blegh, no bubblegum crap. We wanna make the people scream for more, not choke on sugar," Buck groaned. Dawn gave him a dirty look; ever since they started making it big, Buck was all too content to forget where they'd gotten their start. So far there hadn't been any huge blowups about it, but if he kept this up that might not last.

"We have to play at least a few of those," she said. "We're a cover band, we don't do any specific genre! We can play country or folk or rap or anything we please!"

"Oh!" Marley, who had been her usual quiet self since they'd set off, took off her headphones and turned around to join the conversation. "Um...can we do some of our Blackmore's Night covers? Please? We...don't play them nearly enough."

"Personally, I'd like to play a few Springsteen numbers," Riley chimed in. "It's not a rock concert without The Boss!"

" _Now_ you're talking!" Buck grinned. "If we do any of his stuff, at least one of 'em's gotta be _Born To Run._ " He wiggled an eyebrow at Marley. "That one's for you, babe." Marley rolled her eyes and slipped her headphones back on, and Barry glared at Buck.

"Idiot, now she won't give any more to the discussion! Why you always gotta be pissing her off?"

"Oh, shut up! You know nothing about romancing the babes, spazz."

"I beg to differ, actually." Dawn smiled and leaned her head against Barry's shoulder. "Then again, I'm pretty low-key when it comes to that stuff so maybe I don't count."

"Guys, stop it." Cheryl held her hands up, and Dawn immediately felt silly for adding to the argument. Cheryl was always the one to cool things down when they got too heated, and Dawn had always admired her for that. "We have plenty of time before the first show to decide what we're going to play, and we're doing a whole week of them. We can mix it up!"

"She's right, you know," Lucas said. "Let's worry about the songs when we get to Nimbasa and meet up with Cynthia. She'll help us figure this out."

"Good idea!" Mira chirped. "Now can we stop for some pizza? I'm getting hungry!" At the mention of food, Dawn's stomach growled and she realized it had been quite a while since their last snack break.

Thankfully, not a single person in the van had any arguments against pizza. Buck's brother Flint and his friend Volkner, who had offered to drive them down, turned around and gave a thumbs-up sign.

"It's about time we stopped. Now, if you kids promise not to fight like Zangoose and Seviper the rest of the way I'll even spring for the eats!"

"...well, you heard the man! Best behavior, whole rest of the way!" Buck said, eager as ever to wrangle a free lunch from his brother.

-x-

Two large pizzas, two bottles of soda and a rest stop later, they hit the road again. This time Dawn simply leaned against Barry's shoulder as she listened to the banter of Flint and Volkner, Cheryl humming to her favorite Tori Amos songs, and Buck's snoring. The scenery seemed to move a bit slower, but this time she didn't mind. They'd get to Nimbasa in good time, and the long stretch of empty road ahead of them was rather soothing.

Barry fell asleep, thankfully having the courtesy not to drool on her as he was prone to doing sometimes. Lucas slept beside them, his arm loosely curled around a drowsy Mira. She wasn't tired, not at all, but Dawn thought maybe she'd rest her eyes a bit. Just for a moment...

-x-

"Dawn! Hey, Dawn! Cheryl, Riley, everyone! Wake up, we're here!" Mira's child-like voice roused Dawn from her slumber, and the first thing she saw upon opening her eyes was the big, bright, exciting city she'd been hearing so much about. Posters of the band were hung in the windows, a huge welcome banner decorated the hotel they'd be staying at for the next week. And as Cynthia rushed over to greet them, so did a handful of their fans.

"Well, gang, here it is," Riley said. "The big time. You all ready for this?"

"Are you kidding?!" Barry leapt out of the van and did a dance. "I've been ready for this since I picked up those drumsticks!" Dawn rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. Of course he hadn't, none of them had. No one, especially the band themselves, had ever expected to reach the big time.

But here they were.

It was going to be one crazy week, and Dawn looked forward to every minute of it.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for lilcrickee for the PokePrompts Holiday Exchange back in 2011 and decided I should probably post it somewhere else because I really am pretty proud of this. XD


End file.
